Some games were never discovered by gamers when they were released because of other big name titles crowding the shelves, others fell to the side because they weren’t up to par graphically, or game play wise, or the story blew chunks. Some games were just not released at a good time or had no marketing so only select gamers knew about the titles. Either way, every year there are games that deserve a good sequel or there are unique characteristics of the game that could be saved and put more time into to make the game that should have been released. Sometimes sequels that should be made when sequels that are not asked for are, and the underdog loses…

This is a list of personal choices that I believe should have sequels or reboots to give us something fresher than the somewhat stale ideas and stories we’ve come to know recently. Yes there are some unique and AAA titles that have just come out or are coming out, but nostalgia can be an odd emotion, bringing forth memories of a time that was not necessarily better, but memorable for a reason.

10. Psi-Ops: The Mind Gate conspiracy

This third person shooter/psychic power action game was a blast to play, and it was one of the few last good games developed and published by Midway, ranking up there in my personal favorites with The Suffering 1 & 2 (more on this later!). The game was a good blend of action, sci-fi, campy, and just plain fun. Walking around and picking up objects to chuck them at walls, other items in the world, or enemies for the sheer fun and “what would this do” factor was a big draw once you beat the story. But this is the main reason why I want a sequel: The story might have been a bit clichéd at times, but overall I wanted a sequel. No matter who bought the game, if they finished it, they wanted a sequel and we deserved one before Midway folded. Now, I would love to see a core group of gamers whom loved the game and are in the industry purchase the rights to the game, and make a sequel. It needs one! For years we’ve been hoping and dreaming for one, and Midway actually had discussed a sequel and then folded. There are so many directions you could take this game on current gen systems with the level of technology we have that it would be interesting to see where they took this. I think possibly having a recap level or two would do gamers justice that didn’t get to experience this the first time out, or even setting it logically in the future of the game world, where new gamers could join in and not be completely lost.

9. A Matrix game that doesn’t blow

Gamers as a whole have been given 3 Matrix games: Enter the Matrix, The Matrix: Path of Neo, and Matrix Online (which actually had their servers turned off this year in a world ending story driven manner that seemed kinda cool). These games weren’t exactly the shovelware that people made them out to be, but they were not what we deserved to be given as gamers and fans of the franchise. The Matrix would have and still can give a great third person shooter/brawler, and it doesn’t have to focus on Neo. I want to know more about Ghost and Niobe, and some of the other side characters or even about the previous rise and failings of the Resistance. Just because Neo is the One this time around doesn’t mean that he is the most powerful person within the Matrix universe, for all we know there is a Matrix within a Matrix within a Matrix… There is an infinite amount of possibilities that we can take with the franchise if we are just willing to find a developer who doesn’t bow down to the Matrix like the god of all cyberpunk/dystopia/religious stories out there… And I know there are a lot of studios who could fill this role today if given the franchise rights.

8. Final Fantasy VII

This game is on almost every gamers list for a remake because of the unparalleled game play and story. This game needs a remake with the current gen systems, either the PS3 or XBOX 360. I believe that we could even make the events of Advent Children into the game play too, or include it as a bonus. Final Fantasy VII was my first foray into a real JRPG, other than the American PC RPGs of the DOS era, and it made a fan out of me. (I do have to give credit to this idea to my brother in law, he suggested it the other night).

7. Legend of Dragoon

This game was loved and hated by so many people, but even though there were detractors, the fans whom loved it (me included) actually loved the game despite it’s flaws and “me too” copying of ideas from popular JRPG’s at the time. The game might have had a story that even at the time was a bit clichéd, the game play mechanics while being a bit fresh were aggravating at times (Albert and his successors’ attacks were the toughest to master, causing many a broken controllers in the town I lived). But the reason why gamers like it? It was unique in some of the more important areas, like the game play, the FMV’s were insanely well done (The scene where the black dragon attacks the snow coated village is still burned into my mind!), and the just pure charm of the game were undeniably unique. Gamers have been asking for a sequel to this since the release of the original, and Sony has yet to explain the absence of one, and I think it’s time we have a solid reason why they would say no, especially if they gamers want it and would buy it. Why turn down money Sony?

6. Shadowman and Shadowman 2nd Coming

Shadowman for the PS1, PC and N64 wasn’t quite the game it could have been when it came to game play, but the game play is second to what drew me into the game. The world that Shadowman lived and fought in is what drew me in, the story and ambiance of New Orleans and Deadside were unique. But the most important thing about the game series is this: It didn’t talk down to mature gamers who played it. The story was full of evil and darkness, voodoo and violence, but it didn’t sugar coat it, nor did it revile in the darkness either. The script writers showed you just enough of the darkness that you would understand it, comprehend it and experience it. The story is the one reason I want a remake. Not a reboot or a sequel, but a remake of the original and maybe include the events of the sequel, but mostly build the world again with the remake, introduce gamers to world of Liveside and Deadside, searing it forever in their minds and making a sequel that expands upon the remake. Shadowman should not have died, especially after the critics gave favorable reviews for the technically better N64 and PC versions, and the gamers whom enjoyed it were large enough to have a sequel created. I know that Acclaim has died and gone onto making Free 2 Play games, but the license for the IP should be available for a studio to get the rights to it.

5. The Suffering

The Suffering was another game that gamers either loved or hated, and although the games were not horrible, they still had a few bugs here and there. The story once again is the reason why I want to visit Torque and his twisted life again. The original game was well, original. The story of man on death row whom doesn’t remember killing his family was clichéd a bit to me, but once I actually sat down and saw the world that Torque lived in I was hooked. With Midway not existing and Surreal supposedly working on This is Vegas the fate of a sequel or remake does seem grim. But the main reason for a reboot or sequel would be to take an interesting story and fix the random game play issues (controls, the tacked on feeling of the beast form in the first game, the third person/first person perspective can be tweaked to be better, the somewhat underwhelming weapons, level design and flow) and allow for a deeper exploration of the world and the back story. It would be neat to have a sandbox or semi sandbox world for Torque to explore and interact with, even if it was just the Carnate Island, a sense of choice and freedom would be outstanding.

4. Beyond Good and Evil

This game is a true sleeper hit, it only became popular after some better known magazines like EGM kept promoting it for people to buy it as much as a year after it came out. I know that the fate of a sequel is in Ubisofts hands, but we’ve been teased with footage that seems to be from a sequel but Ubisoft has been coy about it… then they said that the game was put on hold recently. Wow, talk about playing with emotions! Either way, I want one and there is nothing that I can do about it, except hope. Please Ubisoft, please!

3. Hellgate London

I purchased Hellgate when it came out and I had a decent enough computer to run the game. I bought it because of the marketing ads and trailers, and I was disappointed, extremely disappointed. What was showcased as an extremely advanced version of Diablo with amazing game play and graphics… But we got a half assed modern update of the Diablo game. I wanted it to succeed, even wiht the two different online account styles, free and paid. I was going to purchase the paid version if it was good enough, and then the game died. It died hard and fast, the servers being shut down months after it was released.

The game that they presented to us isn’t what we were given. I want to have a game where it looks like the trailers… I feel as if we were lied to with this game.

2. MDK

MDK was series that I loved for it’s action, humor and story. It was unique and interesting to see the levels alone, but when the funny and humorous comments, cutscenes and little things made the series unique. I loved the third person action, and the weapons and items that you could employ were new and fantastic for the times. Playing as Dr. Hawkins and Max made the sequel even more interesting and original, and I loved the brutal Max levels the most. MDK might not mean anything as a title, but to gamers who played either one of them, the game has been seared into your mind. I want to have a sequel done by Bioware though, the creators of the sequel.

1. Resident Evil

This game series has been through alot of changes recently with the fourth and fifth one abandoning the zombies and Umbrella Corporation. I played RE5, and to be honest, the game isn’t a RE title. If I had to ask Capcom one question about any game they have made, it would be this: “What game was RE5 before you decided to make it RE5?” The game felt like it had been a different IP other than a Resident Evil game, and they decided to make this into RE5. This game wasn’t exactly the worst game ever, but I miss the zombies and monsters. Resident Evil is a series built upon zombies and the fear of running out of ammo at the worst time. Not fighting parasites and some mutated monsters…

I want to have someone reboot it back to the zombies. I want a city full of zombies of the slow shambling variety, with the lickers and giant animals and all the other crazy stuff. I want crazy puzzles that are mind breakingly hard; and a real good boss battle at the end, not the circle straffing hell that the final boss in RE5 is. I want my zombies back!

I want people who read this to list in the comments games or series that you want a sequel or reboot! My list is well, my list, so if I missed one that is obvious to you, shout out!

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5 Comments

final fantasy and resident Evil series.. probably the best and most succesfull series for video games of all time! I do miss slow moving zombies.. it seems that zombies and monsters are getting faster (maybe they are evolving.. haha)

joar

Posted November 17, 2009 at 11:08 AM

One of the best, yes. But definitely not the most successful. To the list i’d add Ultima, Planescape Torment, Deus Ex, KOTOR(highest rated RPG of all time and i’m talking about a sequel, not an MMO version),

hmm don’t know about that, Ultima might have been around longer but in terms of popularity and units sold plus other media such as anime, movies etc.. I don’t think it was more successful then Final Fantasy. You can probably ask any person walking down the street and I bet 9 out of 10 knows final fantasy and 1 out of 10 knows ultima.

Great list! Psi-Ops was fucking mind blowing at the time for me. I remember showing to all my friends who played PS2, we all loved that game. So ahead of it’s time. And I 2nd Joar’s request for a Planescape Torment reboot, that game was phenomenal. I wouldn’t like a sequel, cuz I think it ended perfect, but a reissue with updated graphics and gameplay would be awesome. And of course, who doesn’t want a new FF7?

OrganizationXIII

Posted November 19, 2009 at 7:20 AM

Legend of Dragoon for sure, yes it did have a shoddy translation, but the story, gameplay, and graphics made up for it several times over. And yes that bastard Albert, though having awesome attack power, was just impossible to use.